Patient Privacy: Just One Laptop Theft Causes $1.7 Million HIPAA Settlement

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

articles:    previous index next
Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by AAPC. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article covers a privacy-and-security enforcement case involving electronic protected health information and summarizes general mobile device safeguards discussed by a federal health IT resource. It is relevant to healthcare providers, compliance staff, and practice managers who oversee PHI protection on laptops, tablets, phones, and other portable systems. The article focuses on risk management themes such as device access controls, encryption, remote wipe capabilities, secure software, and related operational precautions.

Why This Topic Matters

Mobile devices frequently store or transmit PHI, so lapses in security can create significant compliance exposure and breach risk. Understanding the privacy and security themes in this article can help organizations evaluate whether their current safeguards and policies address common vulnerabilities.

Article Sections

  1. HIPAA settlement and OCR investigation

    This section summarizes the breach-related enforcement action and the federal review that followed. It explains the broader compliance context and the organizational risk issues at stake.

  2. Mobile device privacy and security tips

    This section outlines general safeguards for devices that may store or access sensitive health information. It covers access control, device management, software protection, connectivity, and physical handling practices.

What You Will Learn

  • How a stolen device can trigger a federal privacy and security review
  • What general categories of safeguards are commonly discussed for protecting electronic health information on mobile devices
  • Why encryption, access controls, and device management are central themes in mobile PHI protection
  • How operational habits can affect privacy and security risk in healthcare settings

Who Should Read This

  • Healthcare providers
  • Compliance officers
  • Privacy and security officers
  • Practice managers
  • Health information management professionals
  • Medical office administrators

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

Stay informed, get answers to your E/M coding and documentation questions, and find the help you need to bank your deserved pay with your subscription to TCI’s E/M Coding Alert.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 500 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 2013 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles

This feature is currently unavailable for online purchase. For more information, please call 801-770-4203 or Contact Us.

Related Articles

Articles are listed in order of calculated relevance.

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.

Aimee- AI -powered coding assistant - Try it now for Free Would you like Aimee - AI
to help you with this?